


Subverting Expectations

by CobaltStargazer



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Crack!Fic(sort of), Gen, I Don't Know Either, I'm Going to Hell, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-09
Updated: 2015-04-09
Packaged: 2018-03-22 00:57:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3709127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CobaltStargazer/pseuds/CobaltStargazer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex has a secret. No, not <i>that</i> secret, another one. Not even Garcia suspected the truth. It really <i>is</i> always the quiet ones.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Subverting Expectations

**Author's Note:**

> So I was thinking, What's the unlikeliest thing I could ever see Alex doing? And here we are. Sorry/not sorry.

The E Street Cinema wasn't very old, not like the movie houses Penelope had gone to when she was living in California, but the subculture in DC was very different than the one on the west coast. But she liked the experience of movie-going, especially on Friday nights. 

The blonde was standing in line, feeling not even the slightest bit out of place among the colorfully-dressed patrons. _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_ was one of her favorites, and though she owned the DVD, it was always best to see it with other enthusiasts. She'd considered asking Derek to come with her several times, but she'd always chickened out at the last second. She kept picturing him as Frank, but she doubted he'd agree to wear fishnets. The glittery top hat she wore was something she'd found in a consignment shop. Columbia was the reason she'd decided to take up tap. Even though she died in the end, that dance number during _The Time Warp_ made Penelope beam with delight every time.

The night was balmy, unseasonably warm for March, and the hacker paid for her ticket and stepped into the lobby. For once, she'd left her electronic gadgets behind in the car, but she'd already silenced her phone, setting it on vibrate. There was always the possibility that she'd be called into work, but at nearly midnight the odds were more in favor of it not happening.

While she was in the concessions line, Penelope thought she saw someone familiar, but after she collected her change from the black-vested employee they'd vanished from sight, and she wrote it off as coincidence. It wasn't just Derek she hadn't told about her enjoyment of The Rocky, it was the others as well. She munched idly on some of her popcorn as she crossed the lobby, and the ticket taker gave back half of the paper she'd given her. 

The theater was predictably crowded, and the blonde used her free hand to keep her hat from falling off as she took a seat. Once the lights dimmed, she began to sing the opening theme, and by the time it was over almost everyone was singing along as well. Yeah, this was definitely better as a group experience.

Two hours later, Penelope was brushing the popcorn off of her clothes when the lights came back up, and she hauled herself out of the comfortable seat and started to make her way up the aisle, Shuffling along with the rest of the crowd, it took several minutes to reach the top of the aisle, and the lights in the lobby seemed brighter than they had before she entered the more dimly-lit theater. 

"Garcia?"

A sense of deja vu stole over the hacker, and she turned to find the source of the voice. She knew she'd seen someone she recognized, and she'd heard the familiar voice during the movie, even over the rambunctious crowd.

" _You're lucky, he's lucky, I'm lucky, we're all lucky!_ "

Alex still felt like she made a hell of a Magenta, even though technically she should have long outgrown the desire to play dress-up. But it was nostalgic for her, and she still liked the look of herself in the mirror once she had the full costume on. Her legs had always been one of her best features, so why not show them off now and then? And Penelope's presence here didn't surprise her at all. If no one else from work would be into this, the hacker would.

"Uh..." The blonde was uncharacteristically at a loss for words, and she fished around mentally for something to say. What she came up with was, "Agent...I mean...Alex. I didn't expect to...uh...this is the last place I thought you'd..."

"I imagine so," the brunette said, clearly amused. People stepped around them, and Alex added, "The first time I ever saw this was when I was in college, and I've seen it elsewhere. I decided to finally catch it in the District while James was out of town. It's always an experience, isn't it?"

The normally loquacious Penelope was still scrambling for words. She was used to being the quirky one, even a little off-kilter, and seeing the normally serious Alex Blake in full Magenta mode was making her brain cramp. Not in a bad way, necessarily, but it was just so _unexpected_ that she didn't know what to say. Talk about having your expectations subverted.

"I like your skirt," she said inanely, and the older woman smiled. "Thanks. I wasn't sure I could still fit into it. What they tell you about the middle-aged spread is true, but I'm fighting it pretty hard."

Someone behind the blonde made an impatient noise, and the two women stepped out of the flow of foot traffic. "Is that vintage?" Alex asked, indicating the top hat, and Penelope nodded, relieved when the verbal knot loosened slightly. "Yeah, the price was a little marked down, so I snapped it up before anyone else could. I'd been looking for one to complete the outfit for ages."

"It's very becoming."

A minute of silence passed, and the brunette said, "Well, it was nice to see you. I'm glad we didn't have to leave halfway during the movie. Guess even the bad guys take a break sometimes."

Penelope mumbled something that passed for 'have a good night,' and she and Alex parted ways. The blonde wore a bemused expression as she stepped out into the warm Washington night, and she wondered what it would take to get Derek here after all. If Alex was a secret fan, maybe he could be convinced to become one.

And the next time they saw one another at work and Alex gave Penelope a brief, knowing smile, the blonde realized that having your expectations subverted could be a very enlightening thing.


End file.
